Monthly Archives: September 2019

I am glad to announce that I have a new presence in a Downtown Gallery (since May 2019), and it’s an excellent space that benefits the entire Oahu art community, so I would like to tell you a little about it. This new space is a much needed addition to Oahu’s art scene. For a couple of years, some of Oahu’s large community display venues have been closing. Organizations such as Windward Artists Guild, Association of Hawaii Artists, and Pastel Artists of Hawaii (among many others) have been struggling to find a good place to hold displays of their artwork in the aftermath. Member shows are a major function of every art guild, allowing for artists to share and strengthen their display skills, as well as supplying an audience that allows new artists to emerge, and established artists to build recognition and branch out to new locations they may not have shown in before. These non-profit guilds are an important element of the art world here on Oahu, but their intended goals are only possible if there are good venues where the public can see the work of the art guilds.

Imagine the excitement when a new venue popped up this spring in Historic Downtown Chinatown area. It is Downtown Art Center located at 1041 B Nuuanu Ave, in Honolulu. It is now part of one of the most artistically active parts of Oahu. Near Arts at Marks Garage, Hawaii Theater, Artists Lofts, and a few galleries as well, the gallery is in the First Friday Art Walk zone, and one of the major goals of the center is to allow non-profit groups the display space they need.

Downtown Art Center has a beautiful space where non-profit art organizations can hold shows. Shows have been running on a monthly basis since March of 2019. Every First Friday, Downtown Art Center presents a new artists reception for monthly group shows. There are free guitar/ukulele music concerts every Tuesday at lunch noon – 1pm, and an open watercolor session where artists can bring medium sized work to a group setting and work together, benefiting from the inspiration of what other artists are creating on Thursdays. It’s off to a great start!

partial view of Wendy’s wall at Downtown Art Center for September 2019

Since about May, I have been helping with the website and social media. Thus, I am for the time being, an artist in residence at DAC. This means I have a significant number of works for sale at Downtown Arts Center. Please feel free to visit 11:30 am – 3:30 pm Monday – Friday. One of the best times to visit is on the first Friday of each month from 6 – 9 pm for First Friday Art Walk. In the main area, the artists from the monthly community arts show will be there to greet visitors.